“You don’t believe it either, do you?” she asked.
He let out a long breath. “It seems too easy, too convenient. I’m not convinced yet. The chief is. She’s already claiming this is a victory.”
“I guess time will tell.” But Joshua was right. The clues seemed to have appeared easily—too easily, perhaps?
“Plus there’s the fact that a woman’s footprints were found at the arson. Even if Buddy is guilty, either he’s working with someone or we have a separate crime committed by a separate perpetrator.”
His words chilled her. He was right. This whole investigation was more intricate than Charity would like. The end still might not be in sight.
“There’s more,” Joshua continued. “I thought you should know that I talked to Ron Whitaker about Will Redmere. Ron told me the reason he never opened an investigation into Will was because, at some point, Ron had an affair with your mom.”
“What?” Charity gasped.
Joshua nodded, his eyes soft with compassion. “It’s true. Your mom threatened that if Ron made a big deal over what Will had done, she’d air all of Ron’s dirty secrets.”
“She chose her comfort over my safety.” She shook her head, an overwhelming ache squeezing her heart. “She doesn’t even deserve the title of mom.”
“But look at you. You turned out well, despite everything.”
“Thanks. But I can’t believe my mom would stoop that low. She didn’t ever care, did she?”
He squeezed her knee again. “I didn’t know your mom, Charity. But I know drug addiction can change nice people into monsters. You okay?”
Charity nodded. “I wanted to know, even though it was hard to hear. I just want to put that part of my life behind me.”
“I knew you were strong enough to handle it,” Joshua said. “In the meantime, we still have to be careful. I’m glad Ryan’s staying here tonight. I’m going to be working late—maybe all night, even—to process all the evidence from today.”
“I understand.”
He let out another long sigh. He looked tired, and Charity wished she could offer something to help. But short of making him a cup of coffee, there was little she could do.
“I should be getting back, Charity,” he said, his voice low and almost apologetic.
“Thanks for stopping by.” She didn’t want Joshua to leave, yet she knew he had to go.
Joshua helped her to her feet. Heat rushed through her as his fingers grasped her elbow. This wasn’t good. Maybe Charity was beyond the point of caution, despite her better instincts. Her feelings seemed to be fueled and ready for takeoff.
They stood in front of each other on the porch for a moment, nature singing its symphony around them. A pattering of rain had started on the roof overhead, and thunder gently rumbled in the distance.
Charity wasn’t sure exactly what to say. She licked her lips and tried to formulate a proper thank-you.
“You should know that I’m meeting Sarah Reynolds tomorrow,” she blurted. “It’s about selling the property.”
An unknown emotion flashed in his eyes. As quickly as it appeared, it was gone. “I see. You should let me go with you, just to be safe.”
“You have a lot of work to do. I’m sure I can handle this. Besides, Sarah will be there.”
“I can meet you there. Like I said, I just want to be cautious, especially until we know something for sure.”
She nodded. “Okay. I’ll wait for you there. Ten thirty.”
His gaze caught hers and made her heart do somersaults that were Olympic worthy. In the next instant, his arms reached around her waist and he pulled her closer.
Time seemed to slow down for a moment. He leaned toward her, drew her in, and lowered his lips toward hers. The kiss only lasted a minute before he pulled her into a hug, burying his head in her hair, her neck.
“I was so worried about you,” he murmured. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Charity.”
She clung to him a moment, unable to deny her feelings, unable to deny their connection. “I always feel safe around you, Joshua. There are very few people I can say that about. Maybe only you, for that matter.”
He pulled away, a tortured look in his eyes. He brushed his lips against hers another moment. “I have to go.”
“Good night, Joshua.”
That’s when she realized that leaving Hertford—leaving Joshua—would be one of the hardest things of all.
CHAPTER 34
Joshua got two hours of sleep the night before, but he was back in the office by 6:00 a.m., ready to work. He had too much on his mind to rest.
Charity remained at the forefront of his thoughts. He’d thought about her all night, wondering how she was. Remembering his fear when he’d heard she was gone. Replaying how his heart skipped a beat when he found her on his bathroom floor. Relishing the tender, honest look in her eyes as they’d shared their lives over the past several days.
One thing was certain: Charity wasn’t Justina. It wasn’t that Justina had been a bad person; it was mostly that Justina veered on the side of being superficial and selfish. The moment things hadn’t gone her way, she’d looked for greener pastures. If only they could have talked things out, if she’d made him aware of the way she was feeling before it was too late.
But all of that was water under the bridge now. Justina was remarried, and he’d gotten over her.
Charity, though, seemed so much deeper and more natural. She was beautiful without all the hair and makeup and fancy clothes. Her difficult past had molded her into a person with character and substance, to the extent where she spent her life helping people, a way of using her own experiences and hardships.
But she had no intention of staying here. He had to remind himself about how hard it was for Charity to be here. Of course she wanted to get as far away as possible. There were too many bad memories for her in Hertford.
When his thoughts weren’t on Charity, they were on Buddy Griffin. The more Joshua reviewed the facts of the case, the more he couldn’t believe that Buddy Griffin was guilty. His gut told him something was off.
He’d talked to the chief last night and convinced her that the man might have an accomplice. She’d agreed to let him investigate more, but gave Joshua a stern warning that he needed to run things by her—especially matters involving Ron Whitaker.
Joshua still didn’t know what exactly was going on between Ron and Chief Rollins. He tried not to jump to conclusions, but secrets made it difficult to know who to trust. Ron definitely seemed to have the chief in his pocket. Who else was covering for him?
“There are some boxes on your desk,” Lynn said when Joshua walked in.
“Boxes?” He paused.
She shrugged. “They were there when I came in this morning. I didn’t look inside.”
“Interesting.” He went to his office area, and sure enough, at least ten cardboard boxes were piled there. He pulled the top off the first one.
These were the files on Andrea’s case that Ron Whitaker had taken with him. The chief must have let Ron inside at some point so he could leave these. At least the man had followed through.
There was also a cell phone lying on his desk calendar. Joshua picked it up and flipped it open. The date and time popped onto the screen, so the device was charged. But who did this belong to?
He picked up a piece of paper underneath it. “This was my wife’s,” it read. “Just in case there’s anything that might help you here, take a look. You have my full cooperation. Ron Whitaker.”
Joshua had to wonder what the man’s tone was when he wrote the words. Most likely: sarcastic. Joshua had a hard time believing cooperation was even in the man’s vocabulary.
He sat down at his desk and opened the most recently dated file. Sure enough, there were hundreds of Andrea sightings throughout the years, some from here in North Carolina, others in California, and one even in the Philippines.
This was going to take some time.
Which Joshua
might not have, especially if the chief considered this case closed.
Two hours later, Joshua had sketched some notes. There had been several witnesses interviewed that Joshua had never heard about, including the school’s principal, janitors, landscape crew, and even the superintendent for the county school system. Though he didn’t see anything revealing in the notes, Joshua wanted to follow up with everyone possible.
Maybe someone would remember something. Maybe there’d be some new piece of evidence that would blow this case wide open.
Because Joshua couldn’t live with knowing the wrong person was behind bars or that there was an accomplice out there who’d gotten away with this crime.
***
Bright and early in the morning, Charity heard Daleigh’s phone ring. And ring. And ring.
The sound pulled Charity out of bed, and she stumbled sleepily into the kitchen. Daleigh stood at the kitchen counter, a cup of coffee in one hand and her phone in the other. She rolled her eyes as she hit END.
“That’s unbelievable,” Daleigh muttered.
“What’s going on?” Charity asked, pressing her hands into the cool granite countertop as she braced herself for whatever Daleigh was about to say.
“The media somehow caught wind of what’s going on here in Hertford. They’ve been calling all morning and trying to get in touch with you for an official quote on the arrest of Buddy Griffin.”
As Charity’s knees began to buckle, she quickly lowered herself onto a bar stool. “Really?”
Daleigh nodded. “Really. I called Joshua after the first three phone calls. He says there are news crews parked outside the police station as well. He doesn’t know how they found out, but he did say they’re like vultures. They showed up about an hour ago.”
“I guess you know a thing or two about the media.”
Daleigh let out a snort. “They can be your best friend or worst enemy. For the time being, I’d suggest you just ignore them. I’m assuming you probably don’t have anything to say about Buddy’s arrest.”
“Only that I’m not quite confident he should have been arrested.”
“I’d suggest lying low until things pan out some more, then.”
“Good idea. I guess it’s a good thing I woke up.” Charity glanced at the clock on the wall. “I’m supposed to meet Sarah Reynolds in an hour.”
“Sarah? I didn’t realize you knew each other.”
“We went to school together. She’s supposed to help me put my property on the market. Of course, who’s going to want to buy it with a huge fire pit that used to be a house in the middle of the land?”
“Maybe someone will see the potential.” Daleigh paused. “How’s it feel to take this step?”
“A little scary. But it’s what I should do. I should have done it a couple of years ago, truth be told. I’m not sure why I’ve been holding on.”
“Sometimes when we let go, we fear we’ll free-fall. What we don’t realize is there’s someone who gives us a soft place to land.”
Jesus. Charity knew exactly who Daleigh was talking about. The mental image her words evoked made Charity smile.
She got dressed, and when she stepped outside, she nearly withdrew when she saw the reporters on the street. No, Charity told herself. She’d be strong. She’d be victorious.
Keeping her head high, she ignored the probing questions that were thrown her way as she walked toward Daleigh’s car.
“What do you think about the recent arrest of Buddy Griffin?”
“Do you finally feel like you have closure?”
“How has this arrest changed your life?”
Charity slammed the door, started the car, and took off down the road. Their questions still rang in her head, though.
How would Buddy’s arrest change her life?
Not that much, not until she knew for certain the right man was behind bars. But she wouldn’t dare share that with reporters. Anything she said would be used against her; she felt certain.
Charity shuddered again when she pulled up to her property; repetition didn’t seem to lessen the gut-wrenching experience of seeing the shambles of her childhood home.
Sarah arrived right on time. Though Joshua wasn’t here yet, Charity knew it wouldn’t do any harm to meet Sarah. Certainly he would be here any minute. As the drops of rain started to plunk down from the sky, she reached under the seat and found an umbrella.
“My mom has the kids today, and I actually feel halfway human,” Sarah said with a laugh. She straightened her shirt. She’d even gotten dressed up in a business suit to meet Charity. It was a shame that the rain dampened both her suit and her straightened hair. Charity tried to shelter them both with the umbrella.
“I’m glad you could make it out,” Charity said.
Sarah’s gaze fell on the ruins of the house, the caution tape around it, and the overgrown grass. Sarah didn’t have to say anything for Charity to read her friend’s thoughts.
“I know. It’s going to be tough to sell this place,” Charity muttered.
“We just have to find the right buyer,” Sarah said, offering an overly optimistic smile. “Someone who’s looking to build and put down roots, who will love raising a family here.”
“I’m going to have to have the building demolished, aren’t I?” Charity frowned as she remembered her dwindling checking account. If the insurance money came through, maybe she could use that money.
“It wouldn’t hurt, but I know that’s an extra cost to you. I can run some numbers.” She scanned the area. “As far as the property itself, I think we could get a decent amount. It’s a nice piece of land with the woods in the back, the cotton fields on the side, and a handsome single cop as the only neighbor. Some people might see that as a plus. It’s far enough away from the highway to feel secluded, but close enough to town that you don’t feel overwhelmed. You sure you want to sell this place?”
A lump formed in Charity’s throat. “Yes. I mean, it’s not like I can move back here to Hertford. Or that I’d want to.” Even as she said the words, her gut twisted.
“I know you probably have some not-so-fond memories. But it’s really not such a bad place. Every area has a few bad apples, but it’s a shame when those people ruin it for everyone else. There are also a lot of really good people here.”
Joshua’s image filled her mind, and she smiled. “There are definitely good aspects of staying here.”
“Besides, I heard Buddy was arrested. It’s the talk of the town. No one can believe it. I mean, we all knew he was strange. But no one thought he was dangerous.”
Charity’s throat burned. “You just never know about people, do you?”
“You sure don’t.” She paused before snapping back to the matters at hand. “Well, let me take some photos. As soon as the insurance company okays it, we can put a sign out and I’ll list it. Sound good?”
“Sounds great.”
Sarah didn’t move, though. She licked her lips instead and shifted uncomfortably.
Charity gripped her umbrella more tightly and waited, sensing that Sarah had something else on her mind.
“Charity, I know I probably shouldn’t say this,” she started. “I’m probably wasting my words, especially now that Buddy has been arrested. But on Sunday at the barbecue restaurant, I was actually sitting behind you—you didn’t see me, but I overheard part of your conversation.”
“Okay . . .” Charity tried to imagine where this was going.
“I heard you and Joshua talking about going to see Mr. Johansson. I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. I promise.” She drew in a deep breath. “You know my dad was friends with Ron Whitaker, right?”
“They were on the force together for a while, if I remember correctly.”
“That’s right. Anyway, you’re going to think I have a bad habit of eavesdropping, but I remember my dad was talking about a disagreement Ron Whitaker had with Austin Johansson. I never really thought much about it. I figured it was adult stuff. But now I wonder what i
t was all about.”
“You heard this recently?”
She shook her head. “No, I actually heard it ten years ago.”
Charity processed what she said. Could that have anything to do with this investigation? Why would Ron and Mr. Johansson be arguing? She hadn’t even realized the two men knew each other. Unease sloshed in her gut.
“It’s probably nothing,” Sarah continued. “But now, with everything getting stirred up again, I just have to wonder . . .”
CHAPTER 35
As Charity watched Sarah pull away, she began to climb into her own vehicle, wondering why Joshua hadn’t shown up. It was unlike him.
She paused midway into the vehicle when a movement in the distance caught her eye. Her breath caught.
The motion had been so slight, it was almost like she’d imagined it.
But she hadn’t.
Something had been in the woods.
Against her better instincts, Charity stepped away from the car. The rain hit her now, drenching her hair. She didn’t even bother with the umbrella this time.
Sure enough, Andrea stood in the distance. She hovered behind a tree, her gaze focused on Charity.
Charity took a step toward her but stopped.
She couldn’t go into the woods, not knowing that the footsteps leading to her house on the night of the fire had belonged to a woman. Not after being abducted. Not when someone seemed determined to kill her.
Something wasn’t right.
Yet Charity couldn’t pull her eyes away either. Her emotions clashed inside—she wanted answers, yet she valued her safety.
“Charity,” Andrea said.
Her throat clenched. Andrea was calling to her, trying to draw her out.
As if to shoo away any doubts, Andrea looped her hand in a circle, urging Charity to come closer.
Charity started to take another step forward but stopped herself. She had to give heed to the warning bells sounding in her head. There was too much that didn’t add up, too much that didn’t make sense.
Besides, why wouldn’t Andrea come to her? Why hide in the woods and call to her?
Gone by Dark (Carolina Moon Book 2) Page 20